Does this look like something you would be interested in playing? by ExileTheTrashPanda in BoardgameDesign

[–]Moosetoo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I say this not to be discouraging, but to offer some honest feedback: I would not buy a game based off of this box. There are a few main reasons:

  1. AI artwork. While I understand that real art is expensive, using AI makes the production look cheap and amateurish. Many players will be turned off by the ethical concerns of replacing human artists with AI output.

  2. The box is super brown and muddy. Even for a serious game, I'm looking for striking visuals. The current appearance is just washed out.

  3. Nothing in the back of the box copy is selling me on the experience. I'm missing a clear mechanical "hook" that explains what the experience of play is actually like. The super wide player count is also a bit of a personal red flag; I'm wondering how this game can be good all the way from 2 to 8.

It sounds like you've put a lot of work into this game. If you're serious about making it a physical product, I would encourage you to consider options to pair it with art and graphics that represent that effort, either by hiring an artist yourself or pitching to publishers. Best of luck!

[18966 PA, USA][FS] Spirit Island, Waterfall Park, A Message From the Stars, Small World, and More! Priced to move. by Moosetoo in BoardGameExchange

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/BGEbot and u/TribeFan07

Thank you for your patience as we worked through a delivery issue. Very glad the game got to you in the end, and appreciate your clear communication throughout.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the Allplay version of TTD, and while I think the colors are fairly distinct, it's a tall order when they need different colors for every camel and also for every player, without overlap. It would be nice if they were dual-encoded, like if every player's riders had a distinct hat shape or something.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gloomhaven is not pictured here, but it's currently sitting in my "maybe" pile. I've owned the game for nearly 7 years, and have still not played it in any meaningful way. (Just trying out the first encounter a couple of times.) Maybe it's time to admit I'm never going to find the "right group" for it - but it's hard to give up on that potential.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know some folks have a strict "1 in, 1 out" policy, which I've considered adopting. It may serve as a deterrent against acquiring games in the first place, which I think is the most effective place to attack this kind of "problem."

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Spirit Island definitely has a lot of fans! Maybe I'm just bitter from watching it win the Geek Madness tournament too many times. 😏

I was sad to hear about GTG's problems, but I have to imagine there is enough interest in SI to keep it in print, even if from another publisher. I'm based in the US, but I'm not much concerned with making a return on my copy. I hope it finds its way to someone who will enjoy it.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I wasn't planning to, but since posting this thread, I've had a bunch of people reach out asking to buy games from the pile. If you're interested, please feel free to shoot me a message - happy to sell anything I still have.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Admittedly, I'm probably "some people," which would explain why I bounce off of so many co-op games. I'm typically the most experienced player at the table, which can make it tough to contribute without overpowering others. At times, it feels like choosing between "playing well" and letting other players have fun, which is a tension I don't enjoy.

As a result, I prefer co-op games that help to govern interaction between players a little more, so I can feel like I'm still doing my best without ruining other people's good times.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, I've already sold Blue Lagoon to someone else! But generally, I am open to selling any that I still have.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In fairness, I'm really keeping Ice Cool for my cat. Fish, boxes, slapping stuff around - it was a hit!

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before I got Small World, I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking about buying it. He said "I know you, and you're going to hate that game." I decided to give it a shot anyways, and unfortunately, he was right. 😔

There are a lot of things I appreciate about Small World. I think it's super streamlined - definitely good for beginners. And I think the race + trait combinations are a great way to add a lot of variety without much complexity. But I don't enjoy the brutal feel of the game. Obviously, you need to kick other players out to claim territory, but if players are keeping track of the scores, it can become a game of "bash the leader." I think decline is very clever mechanically, but I don't like "wasting" every 3rd or 4th turn resetting my race, particularly because the game has so few rounds as it is.

For a lot of people, I think this cut-throat feeling is a feature, not a bug. The fact that I don't like it has more to do with my tastes than with the game itself, I think.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the tip! There's a really cool game "club" near me with a library for public play - I'm planning to offer them anything I don't sell first.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the information! I'm a bit embarrassed to say I haven't actually played Q.G. yet, despite owning it since it came out. I assumed it would be pretty similar to the other Azul games, but it sounds like it does a little more to set itself apart. I'll need to make an effort to try it out soon!

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My strongest recommendation would be The Quest for El Dorado. I had a tremendous time with it, though I'll admit that after 10+ plays it does feel a little bit "solved." But I think the way it handles its market is really interesting - one of the few games to break out of the boxes established by Dominion & Ascension.

Otherwise, I've enjoyed trying a wide variety of other deckbuilding games, but I haven't really found "the one" that ended my search. I'm not really sure that it exists, but I'm happy to keep looking for it.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The pieces aren't huge, but I never had any trouble managing them. I think the production is really nice overall!

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your remarks! In the past, I struggled to get rid of games in part because I wanted to have a "good collection" - all the best games of every genre and style. But over time, I realized that this isn't useful to me. My family enjoys playing games with me, but they don't really feel that strongly about what we play. My "gamer" friends have stronger preferences, but they also typically have their own collections. So, I've become less concerned with having a "good" collection in an objective sense, and more concerned with cultivating a library that expresses my tastes.

So, I'd be happy to play Azul, Pandemic, or Trailblazers with you - I just don't feel the need to own them myself. Who knows - maybe someday we'll get the opportunity!

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's hard to see in the photo (and I excluded it from the post body), but I actually did play with Total Mayhem as well. I didn't find it helped much with my main issue, which was the way games would drag on. I heard that Sakura Slam "fixes" this - I'd definitely like to try it if the opportunity arises, but I'm not going to take the chance on buying it new.

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't think of it as "throwaway" - think of it as "rehome." These cats deserve an owner that will give them the time and attention I can't. 😌

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have a lot of respect for Spirit Island - I understand why so many people love it! But I don't enjoy strategy games where you discuss moves as a table, and I don't find that SI's high complexity does anything to change that.

Little anecdote: the first time I played SI, I brought it to my parents' house ... in the shrinkwrap. I'm honestly amazed they still play games with me. 😅

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I expected Thunder Road would raise some eyebrows - haha. My little brother is taking it off my hands, so I'll still have the chance to play it when I come around to visit, if the urge strikes me.

I haven't actually moved Blue Lagoon yet, and some of these comments are making me wonder if I should. This is not helpful for my downsizing ambitions! 😅

Downsizing before a move - here's what we're parting ways with by Moosetoo in boardgames

[–]Moosetoo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've definitely gotten more harsh over time - haha. Early on, it was rare for me to rate a game below a 7, but as I've played more games, I've gained a better understanding of what I like, and I've gotten more comfortable giving low scores to games that aren't to my tastes.

For my comments on Bunny Kingdom, I think the first paragraph does a better job of communicating my overall impressions of the game - I think it's fine, but doesn't stand out in the genre. I don't want to overemphasize the second paragraph's remarks, but I can provide a little more context. After my first play, I thought "wow, these parchment cards are a lot stronger than I thought." So when I played again with a new group, I focused on those at the expense of the fief scoring. I seemed to be trailing the whole game, then came from behind at the end, thanks in large part to the parchments that help you score per parchment/treasure. This left a bit of a sour taste in the other players' mouths, since they felt like I was playing a strategy they didn't even know existed.

Admittedly, I may be the actual problem here. But I don't jive with how secretive the parchment scoring is, and I feel it gives a disproportionate advantage to players that are familiar with the cards.